A little over a year after introducing DNA testing in primary care clinics, Geisinger is paving the way for precision medicine and preventive care delivery. Source: Getty Images By Jessica Kent November 22, 2019 – In May 2018, Geisinger Health System announced that it would soon include genomic sequencing in routine clinical care to advance precision medicine and improve patient...
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Potent antimicrobial found that shows promise in fighting staph infections
Research led by scientists from McMaster University has yielded a potent antimicrobial that works against the toughest infectious disease strains. The find could be the beginning of developing new therapeutics to combat drug-resistant infections. Image credit: Pixabay (Free Pixabay licence) The discovery is important as it is directly related to the development of Staphylococcus aureus diseases, known popularly...
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Osteoporosis: Could selenium reduce risk?
A recent study from China finds an association between dietary intake of selenium and osteoporosis risk. Although the authors cannot determine whether the link is causal, they call for more investigation. Share on Pinterest A new study asks whether selenium intake might link to osteoporosis risk. Throughout life, the body continuously breaks down bone, reabsorbs...
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TB could be conquered by common painkillers, research reveals
by Freshscience Credit: CC0 Public Domain Aspirin could be used to treat the world’s deadliest infectious disease, according to new research conducted by Dr. Elinor Hortle at the Centenary Institute in Sydney. Tuberculosis—which affects a third of the global population—currently kills two million people every year. The spread of multi-drug resistant strains mean antibiotics are becoming less...
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High-fat diet proven to fuel prostate cancer progression by imitating a key cancer alteration
by McGill University Micrograph showing prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma (the most common form of prostate cancer) Credit: Wikipedia What molecular event happens for prostate cancer to progress faster and to be deadlier when patients eat a high-fat diet? This is the question Dr. David P. Labbé, a scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC),...
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Wearable Sweat Sensor to Measure Gout-Causing Compounds
Researchers from Caltech, Peking University in China, Santa Clara University, and University of California, Los Angeles have developed a new wearable sensor that can detect gout-causing compounds in sweat. The device relies on novel laser-engraved chemical sensors to detect gout-causing compounds uric acid and tyrosine at concentrations much lower than previously possible. Moreover, the same device...
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Gene Delivery Device to Make Engineered Cell Therapies Much Cheaper
The technology, called deterministic mechanoporation (DMP), consists of a microfluidic device that allows large numbers of living cells to be injected with genetic materials. Unlike the biochemical approaches that are typically used, the new approach is mechanical. Using fluid flow, cells are dragged toward microscopic needles within the device. The cells are pierced and immediately...
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Trinity researchers uncover critical metabolic switch for inflammatory diseases
A research team in Trinity has uncovered a critical role for a protein called ‘PKM2’ in the regulation of immune cell types at the heart of multiple inflammatory diseases. The work identifies PKM2 as a potential therapeutic target for treating a host of diseases mediated by over-active immune cells, such as psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. Credit: Trinity...
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The good side of carbon monoxide
Most people think of carbon monoxide as harmful, and with good reason — the colorless, odorless gas sends 50,000 people in the U.S. to hospitals each year when their furnaces malfunction or car engines run in poorly ventilated spaces. But at low concentrations, carbon monoxide has a beneficial side that scientists are trying to harness...
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Technique identifies T cells primed for certain allergies or infections
When your immune system is exposed to a vaccine, an allergen, or an infectious microbe, subsets of T cells that can recognize a foreign intruder leap into action. Some of these T cells are primed to kill infected cells, while others serve as memory cells that circulate throughout the body, keeping watch in case the...